Compression or vacuum machine



Sept. 11, 1934. JfA. GRIER 1,973,063

COMPRESSION on VACUUM MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 25; 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I omvllukso 6 IER.

ATTORNEY Sept. 11, 1934.

J. A. GRIER COIPRESSION OR VACUUM MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 .4 f imi q 20 5 O l I 6 G O r 0 I5 42 4 I o o I 5 O V 7 El 3o \9' a By. 3.

INVENTOR.

Jaw/v ALF/2E0 62/52.

Sept. 11, 1934'. J. A. GRIER 1,973,063

COMPRESSION 0R VACUUM MACHINE I Original Filed Jan. 25, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR.

JZnm ALFRED 612/5 BY i ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 11, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMPRESSION on VACUUM MACHINE J ohn Alfred Grier, New York, N. Y.

Original application January 1924, Serial No. I

688,539. Divided and this application August 12, 1929, Serial No. 385,178

4 Claims. (Cl. 230-207) This invention relates to improvements in lation through the bearings and working parts compression or vacuum machines and has for its of the compressor. The machine is made comprimary object the production of a compact, pact by having the motor, compressor, separator highly eflicient and fool proof apparatus that is and (in some cases) the storage tank, all mounted 5 especially adapted to many commercial uses such on the same base, but as separate units so that as refrigeration systems, supplying large volumes any unit is accessible without disturbing the othof air or gases, and the many uses in the arts users. The base, moreover, contains the lubricant ing pressures less than the atmospheric. chamber or reservoir which forms a part of the This application is a division of my Patent No. circuit for the compressed gas. a

1 1,724,874, issued August 13, 1929, application filed As a part of my invention, which I shall claim January 25, 1924. as novel herein, I construct my lubricant reser- Among the objects of this invention are: (1) voir as a support for both the compressor and To provide a lubricating system whereby the the separator, the lubricant feeding up into the moving parts are thoroughly and automatically compressor and down with the compressed gas,

5 lubricated; (2) To provide a lubricant separator the gas carrying some lubricantmoving horizonto remove all of the lubricant from the comtally above the main body of lubricant and uppressed air or gas (hereinafter called gas), and ward through the separator where (after separaret rn it t th ain body of the lubricant adjation) the lubricant drains down to the main body cent the outlet therefrom; and to make a machine of lubricant again-the gas passing out of the top 29 which is very compact, yet has every part acces- 0f he S pa ator.

sible so that, in case of trouble, no other parts Other forms of separators may be used.- Howwould have to be torn down to get to the part ever, I provide a novel construction of separator needing attention. Further objects will suffiwhich has a column with communicating up and ciently appear from the detailed description down paths for the gases, having spirals therein;

which follows? the lower end of the column draining into the In order to move a large volume of air or gas lubricant chamber, so that centrifugal force, as at a relatively low pressure, I have adopted a cerw ll as th force of avity, wil p at to s patajn novel grouping d arrangement of the rate the lubricant from the gases as the latter parts and have specially designed some of the pass up and down th ou h t p and D 30 parts of the apparatus so that the gas as it comes again through the length of the column. out of the compressor is fed downwardly into and One embodiment of y n ention is illustrated through a reservoir and up through a separator in the accompanying drawings in whi h lik p r and thence by piping to the point where it is to are indicated y he ame numerals. be used. In some cases a storage or reservoir Figure l is an end elevation,

35 tank is desirable and in some cases L prefer to Figure 2 is a from; elevation, and mount this on the same base with the other ap- Figure 3 is a p a v w h wi r lati n and paratus A rotary compressor js/employed b location of the parts of my compressor machine, cause it will move a greater volume of gas for its and size than any other kind of compressor, and also Figure 4 is a partial section of compressor base 40 it makes a very good vacuum pump if properly showing separator and compressor in section, 5

lubricated. taken on the line A-A of Fig. 2.

'The compressor may be driven by any suitable Referring to the drawings: 1 is an electric motor, preferably a rotary motonand specifically motor, 2 is a rotary compressor, 3 is a lubricant described herein as an electric motor. The comseparator, 4 is a hollow base for the compressor 5 pressed gas passes down through a large exhaust and the separator which forms a container for opening in the bottom of the compressor into a lubricant. 5 is the condenser or reservoir which lubricant chamber from which it passes along the stands vertical in this case although I may mount surface of the lubricant and upward through a it horizontally or otherwise as may best suit the specially constructed separator, which takes out circumstances of particular cases. When used 50 all of the oil and throws it down into the lubrias an air compressor it is some times desirable cant chamber. The compressed gases pass from to have a storage tank for air and in such cases the separator to the point of use in some cases, I mount an air tank in the place of the conand to the storage tank in other cases, while the denser. This makes a very compact unit and in pressure maintained on the lubricant forces it up the small sizes makes an ideal portable air sup- 55 aype provided for the purpose in constant circuply,

return gas" from the evaporator, or air in cases where used as an air pump, enters the compressor at 8. (In cases where used as a vacuum pump, the suction side 8 of the pump 2 is connected to the apparatus in which the vacuum is desired, al-

lowing the air to discharge from the separator;

3 directly into the open atmosphere.)

The pipe 13 leads the water from the condenser into the stuffing box end 1'7 of the compressor 2 where it passes through covered openings '(in the compressor) to the head 16and' out through the pipe 14. In cases where the compressor is used for air the water may be led directly into the stuffing box end 1'1 and out through the pipe 14 in some cases, and in the smaller units as mentioned above I may use air or water cooled compressors.

The base 4' which forms a lubricant reservoir has circular openings'40 and 41 over which are mounted the compressor 2 and the lubricant separator 3 respectively (see Fig. 4). The quantity of lubricant 28 in the system is so regulated that there will always be aspace between its surface and the upper wall of thereservoir 4 for the gases to pass from the compressor through the separator 3 to the system. The gases pass through pipe 38 into the intake 8 of the compressor 2 and after being compressed, they are discharged through the opening 40 into the lubricant reservoir 4 where they pass along the surface of the lubricant and into the separator through the opening 41. The separator may consist of one or more spirals or a plurality 'of baffle plates but in the machine shown I use two spirals. The tube 23 has a spiral 22 around its outside of such diameter as to fit tightly inside the cylinder which forms the body part of 3. The lower end of the tube 23 projects below the surface of the lubricant 28 in the reservoir, just clearing the bottom of the inside of the base 4. The lubricant keeps this end of the tube closed so that the gases have to pass around the spiral to get out,

and the deeper'this tube projects into the liquid the lower the liquid level may become before the seal is broken. The compressor gases pass up the spiral 22 which gives them'a rapid rotary motion. The particles of lubricant which may have become mixed with the gases in the compressor are thrown out by centrifugal force against the inner wall of the tube and drain back down to the lubricant in the reservoir below. The gases on arriving at the top have no other outlet than along the spiral 25. The gases arriving at the bottom of the spiral 25 again turn upward through the tube 24 and pass out the opening 26 through the pipe or conduit 15 into the condenser or reservoir 5. The inner spiral 25 is wound around the tube 24. This tube 24 has its upper end fitted tightly into the head 7 of the separator 3 and its lower end at a sufficent distance above the surface of the lubricant 28 so that a surge would not force the body of the lubricant up the tube. The supply of lubricant may be replenished by removing the plug 30, and pouring in lubricant.

The pressure on the surface of the lubricant 28 in the reservoir forces lubricant constantly up a feeder pipe or duct 29, whence it goes through the cross duct 42. The end plates 16 and 1'7 have grooves 43 in their inner surfaces adjacent to the i having-two circular openings side by side in the ends of the rotor 44 leading to the bearings of the compressor. The lubricant passes from the duct 42, along the grooves 43 to the bearings, some inder wall 59- -thus all moving parts of the compressor are thoroughly lubricated.

The motor 1 drives the compressor 2 directly through a flexible coupling 10.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1'; In a compression machine, a compressor comprising. a hollow frame with enclosing end plates. -an'dimovi ng parts therebetween, a hollow flangedcylinder having a separator therein, a rectangular base forming a lubricant reservoir upper surface thereof, said frame being secured to said reservoir and communicating therewith through one of said openings, said cylinder being secured to said'reservoir and communicating therewith through'the second of said openings, whereby either the compressor or the separator may be independently removed without disturbing the other and without losing the lubricant.

2. In a compression machine, a base, a lubricant reservoir in said base having two circular openings in the upper surface thereof communi- I cating therewith, a compressor mounted upon said base and closing one of said openings, a cylinder also mounted upon said base and c1osing said other opening, a lubricant separator in said cylinder, and a vertical pipe supported by and extendingbelow said compressor adapted to conduct lubricant to moving parts in the compressor.

3. In combination, a rotary pump having a center casting with a horizontal cylindrical hole therein, a rotor unit supported within the cylindrical hole by end plates secured to said casting, an intake passage communicating with the interior of said casting, a discharge passage extending downwardly within said casting, a circular flange integral with said casting surrounding a portion of said discharge passage, a lubricant reservoir having a circular boss with an opening therein, bolts securing said flange to said boss with the discharge passage communicating with said reservoir through said opening, a second circular boss also having an opening there- ,in, a vertical cylinder bolted to said second boss and communicating with said reservoir, a 'separator in said vertical cylinder, a body of lubricant in said reservoir, and a thin horizontal passage above the surface of said lubricant adapted to pass gases from the discharge passage to the interior of said cylinder.

4. In a compression machine, a hollow rectangular base having two bosses in the upper surface thereof with openings therein communicating with the hollow interior of the base, a compressor mounted on one of said bosses having its drive shaft at right angles to the major axis of said base, a hollow vertical cylinder mounted on the second of said'bosses and forming a closure for the opening therein, a separator within the cylinder adapted to separate oil from compressed gases passing therethrough, and means for securing the compressor and the cylinder to the respective bosses so that each may be removed without disturbing the other.

JOHN ALFRED GRIER. 

